The General Assembly overrode Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of Senate Bill 747, “An Act to Make Various Changes Regarding Election Law,” on October 10. The party-line votes were 30-19 in the Senate and 72-44 in the House.
The John Locke Foundation has advocated for many of the election reforms in S 747. Once implemented, they will make North Carolina elections better run and more secure.
The John Locke Foundation has advocated for many of the election reforms in S 747. Once implemented, they will make North Carolina elections better run and more secure.
Many Policy Wins in One Bill
Below are the policies for which Locke has advocated included in S747. Those reforms can be found in Locke’s Policy Solutions 2022 (starting on page 11) and our report on the 2020 election. Some on the list include links to other writing we have done in support of that reform.
| Proposal | Included in S747? |
Make election day the deadline for election boards to receive ballots. | Yes |
Ban private funding of election administration (AKA: “Zuck Bucks”). | Yes (also in budget) |
Keep a log of those assisting voters at the polls. | Yes |
Require that election officials verify same-day registrations before associated ballots are counted. | Yes |
Have the North Carolina court system share lists of potentially ineligible voters with election officials. (Civitas Institute article) | Yes |
Require partisan balance for staff whenever possible at early voting locations. | Yes |
Create a body tasked with conducting criminal investigations into alleged election crimes, either as an independent body or housed within the State Bureau of Investigation. | Partial – It requires the State Board of Elections to “report violations of the election laws to the State Bureau of Investigation.” |
Make it explicit that members of the public, including election observers, have the right to observe the “zero balance” on ballot tabulators on election day; the number of votes on tabulators before and after voting at early voting sites on each day of early voting. | Yes – Observers have the right to witness “any opening and closing procedures at the voting place.” |
While there are still things legislators and election officials can do to make our elections more secure, S747 is a big step in the right direction.
Next: The Inevitable Lawsuits
No sooner had S747 become law than some of the usual suspects announced that they were suing. The Elias Law Group is working with plaintiffs suing against verification of same-day registrations while the Democratic National Committee and the North Carolina Democratic Party are suing over several provisions of the bill.
Both suits will be heard in the US District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. It is unknown if either will be heard in time to affect the 2024 general election.
(NOTE: The cover image of John Locke was edited to put a smile on his face.)
